Measueing instettment



March 8, 1932. R. T. HURLEY I MEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 26. 1929 INVENTOR Roy Z'Hur/ey BY ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PA ENT bF E RoY T. HURLEY, or DOBBS FERRY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, Y MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To MOTO METER GAUGE & EQUIPMENT. coRroRA'rIon. or one ISLAND airy, NEW

and-thereby enable accurate measurements to YORK, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE MEASURING rns'rRuMEN'r Application filed February 26, 1929. Serial No. 342,825. I

. This invention relates to indicating means designed for informing the driver of a motor vehicle of operating conditions afiecting the motor, and for warning him when conditions occur which are dangerous to continued operation. v

It is an object of'the invention to secure an indication of the thermal condition of the motor from the temperature of the oil in the crank case, and this without the necessity for drilling the crank case or otherwise altering the normal construction thereof. On a large upper end thereof for engagement with the J v exterior of the crank case toarrest penetrationof the rod in a predetermined position be taken. In accordance with an important feature of the invent1on, prov1s1on 1s made of a combined temperature responsive ele ment and liquid level indicator which may be substituted in this opening of the crankcase for use in place of, but in'the same manner as,- the rod normally provided.

A further feature of the lnvention relates to the construction of this combined therof motors. v I

The temperature-indicating means may be in the form o'f'a usual'distance type ther- '-mometer 'havingan indicating portion, in

view of the driver, adapted to'be operated by pressure transmitted through a capillary "tube fromthe thermometer bulb. l

- tric bulb within the casing 'of the tempera A further object of the invention relates to the provision of means for illuminating the temperature indicating means and for further affording a means forwarning vof failure of 011 pressure.

wTothis end provision is .made of an electure indicating-instrument which is arranged both to indirectly illuminate the temperature after appear;

indicatingpart of the instrument and to the light to glow dimly when the motor is, I

operating normally; 1 Inorder to 'enable the light to serve as a warning of low oil pressure,provision is madeaof a low resistance contact device controlled by the oil pressure and' adapted to. form a path to ground in parallel with the resistance referred t'o,the arrangement being, such that when the oil pressure falls dangerously low, the resistance through thatportion .of the circuit external to the light 'filamentais greatly reduced so that the light is caused to glow brilliantly. Other objects and advantages will hereinstrument of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a front elevatlon of the indicator portion of the instrument with the cover plate and dial-plate removed. I

In the illustrative form of the invention disclosed by the drawings, the crank case l of a vehicle motorris shown provided with the usual opening 2 for receiving an oil level bottom of the crank case. .As shownherein, provision 1s made of an 011 level lllCllCtttOfd,

' 70' "ln'theidrawlngs forming part of this speci- .85 indicator adapted to dip into the oil 3 in the v which indicator is, however, of novel construction; The indicator comprises a bulb .5 which forms-the temperature responsive element of a distance type thermometer and is-also provided with graduations for indicatingthe'level of the'oil in the crankcase. The bulb 5 communicates with the usual capillary tube 6 which extends to the indicat ing portionfof the instrument tooperate the latter in; response tochangesof temperature of the-bulb A tube, or sleeve 8 surrounds the capillary tube 6 and is fixed to the bulb,

5 in any suitable manner as by brazing. A larger tube or sleeve 9 surrounds the tube 8 and may be secured in fixed relation to the tube 8 by a set screw 10 threaded through the Wall of tube 9 into binding engagement With tiibeS. The-tube 9 isp-ifdvided witha-n abutment member or collar 11 at its upper extremity which is large enough to completelycoverthe-opening-Q. and restupon the outer surface or the crank case 1. it will be seen that the oil level indicator is sus pended by the collar 11, and that it may be adjusted in length to adapt it "fbr'appncation to different vehicles-by partially withdrawing the set screw 10, relatively moving the tubes "8 and "9 loirgitudinally to secure the desired eiiective length ofthewga'uge, and 'then'tightening the set screw 10. T he'liquid level gauge normally dips into the oil, and hence the bulb "5 -isalWa-ys properly located fortaking'the'temperature' of the oil.

The indicating part of "the instrument is illustrated herein as secured upon the 'front of the dashboard 12 by means ofa bracket "13 which extends'rearwardly from the lower portion ofthe instrument casing,'-and thence upwardly behind the dashboard, and a knurled finger screw 14' threaded through the "upwardlyextending leg of bracket 13 into engagement'with the back of the dashboard. The indicating instrument comprises a rear cup-shaped casing member 1115 and a "front casing member 16. Withinthe casing provisionis.niadextor'a further frame orcasing member 17 which serves also asthedial of the instrument. The temp erature indicating element or pointer 18 and the operating means thereforare of usual construction. Thecapih lary tube 6 enters thec-asing through the lower Wall thereof-and communicates with the outer fixed end ofa B0urd'on-coil19 WhiCh'l S secured in .a bracket 20. The inner end {of the Bourdon coil'is s'ecure'd'to 'arotatable center plate -'2l,,"and :the centenplateds in "turn connected through a co'rled 'bi-metallic compensating spring 22 'toa shaftf2 3 --wh-ich carries the'indicatin-g eleinentIS. The'center plate -21 and-the'shaft23 are journal'ed upon "a center 'post 24' fast to the casing member 15.

The member 17 has a cupshaped-depressi'oncin itsfront face in which the indicating ele'rnentor pointer 18 operates, and-this depressed portionyisprovided with slots-25 and 26'through which light from the interior 'ofthe instrument'may pass. The pointer 18 maybe provided with a translucent disc 27 adapted to be carried inafront ot-the slot--25 "When the operating temperature abn'or- "mallylo'w and in front of-the slot-26 when the "o' emtin tern erature is -abnor'inall "high. The light shining through this transl-ucentdi's'c renders indicator conspicuous, and thereby calls attention meteor-m1 operating conditions.

For the purpose of providing interior illumination for the instrument and of further providing a Warning indicator When the oil pressure is dangerously low, provision is made :of an electric bulb 28mounted in a socket 29 1a the lower portion at "thecasing. The light from this bulb shines indirectly through the slots 25 and 26 and also shines through aglass jaws-1 30 mounted-inmopening '31 inthe-casing nienibe'r 17 directly in near-cf the light. An-aligned-Opening is provided inthe casing member 16 in front otth'e jetve'l '30.

In order that this light may be effective to provide illumination at all times when the 111M301 is 'in "operation it is 'arranged to be connected with the battery 32 by the ignition switch 33. The light circuit comprises a conductor '34: from one side=of the battery to the :igniti0nsWitch-33, azconductor 35 to one terminal of the light bulb, andra con- -ductor 86, resistance 87 "and conductor 38 which always connect-the other terminal of 'the light bulb to ground. The battery is always .-ground ed "at one side thereof =th'rouglra conductor 39. With "the circuit thus *far described, it will be'seen that "the turning'onof the ignition switch will 'cause the-electriclight bulb to beenergized. Since the resistance 37 is in serijes With-the lightbulb, however, the voltage drop across the light bulb-will necessarily be cut down by this resi'stance and the light filament will be caused-togloW dimly.

Provision is further -m-ade for utilizing the same li ht bulb and aconsiderable 1 por- -tion-of the same electric c'i'rcuit; for causing thelightfilament tozglow-brightly when the oil: pressure is dangerouslylow. To this end -a-swit'ch l0,-adapted-to beclosed by a drop in-the oilipress-ure but to be held open When- -ever-the-oil Epressure is normal, is connected by-1neansefconductors tl -a-ndin parallel With the resistance- -37. Since-the resistance ofthe elements 10, 41- and -42 -islow as compared with '37, {the closing of the -stvitch 'Egreatly increasesithe'voltage drop acrossthe ;"-.filan'1egnt fofthe-lightQ8, and hence causes the 'li-ght'toaglow brightly. The switch device is shown connected in a conduit-43 cf the oil-system-at thesuction side of the oil ;-pun1p and at a short distance from the --oihpurnp. The-switch; devieemay-be of; the 'same "construction EELS that disclosed iinthe pending application "of j-Herman Sehlaich,

'-'detail'- certain {preferred forms of my inve'ntion, it is to be understood that'changesmay be made therein and'the' inventiomembddied *i'n -other -structures. I *do' not, therefore,-'desire to l iinit rnyselfto the i specific construcncas i'l lustratedfbut intend to cover my insurrounding the capillary tube, said support vention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

I claim: I I

1. The combination with a crankcase having an opening in the top thereof, of a combined thermometer and oil level gauge comprising a temperature responsive element having graduations marked thereon to correspond to the depth or quantity of oil, a temperature indicator remote from the temperature responsive element, a flexible capillary tube connecting the indicator and the temperature responsive element, a substantially rigid tubular suport adjustablycarrying the temperature responsive element and projecting through the opening in the crank case to the exterior thereof whereby the temperature responsive element may be withdrawn at will to take a depth reading, and

means for holding said support and element in selectively predetermined relative positions. V

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine and the crank case thereof,

tion between the temperature responsive member and indicator, said member being adjustable on the support 'into predetermined positions relative tothe bottom of the crank case and freely removable from and insertable into the crank case without disturb-i ing said predeterminedpositions.

In testimony whereof I have atfixed my 7 signature to this specification.

' BOY T. HURLEY. 

